Next Monday, a new householder will be entering the White House. This fact is accelerating the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. According to information coming from several sources, the impression created indicates that this time it is very serious and that there is a likely chance that an agreement will be signed between the two sides. And who knows? Perhaps it will even materialize before the words emerge from the printer's block.
In fact it was announced that an agreement had been reached. However Israel has so far not approved it, saying that Hamas is trying to make last minute changes.
Notwithstanding, we can still leave the option open that it might not happen. But we allow ourselves the leeway of being either optimistic or pessimistic, each according to his outlook regarding the deal. All of the factors involved come from different sources, which talk about the gradual release of all the hostages, while the price to be paid by Israel will be heavy, indeed.
It will ultimately include a complete retreat from Gaza, with the argument pending upon the width of the safety margin dividing the Strip from the Israeli border, including the release of thousands of terrorists, among them hard core and dangerous ones, whose deportation Israel demands to other countries.
There is no Israeli citizen who is not anticipating the return of the hostages to their homes — the live ones to their families, and the corpses to a proper Jewish burial. No one imagined, a year and a quarter ago, that the hostages would remain in their Gaza Gehennom for so long.
There is no doubt that the negotiations of any kind for their release would meet up with harsh opposition, not only from the Rightists, those very ones who opposed the previous settlement where the price paid was nominal, but also from other factions, including top people from the Security Service, who maintain that this agreement is horrific and which will end up with Hamas ruling over Gaza, entrenching themselves firmly and becoming a real threat to Israel.
Others maintain that we have no choice but to pay the heavy cost because we cannot allow the hostages to remain imprisoned in the horrible underground tunnels of Hamas.
Netanyahu is prepared to pay the heavy price and is attempting to ease the brunt of the evil so as to present the agreement as an Israeli achievement, but his previous boasting of achieving a total victory will apparently fall by the wayside. Hamas will not be going anywhere, with the same to be said about Hizbullah and Iran.
We must pray for the speedy return of the hostages, nor any less, that the result of this treaty will not be tragic and destructive. The nation residing in the Holy Land needs extensive Heavenly mercy that peace and quiet reign after the bloody period which we suffered and are still suffering.
